Most dental work stations are designed to efficiently locate dental equipment in close proximity to the patient, and within easy reach of the dentist and the dental assistant.
The type and specific arrangement of dental equipment used with any given work station will vary, depending on the dentist's particular needs and type of practice.
In many work stations, dental equipment such as lights and mechanical arms for supporting control heads (the control heads holding and controlling handpieces, syringes, etc.) are mounted to posts that serve to support the equipment for limited movement within the work station vicinity.
Prior mounting mechanisms for dental equipment included a central support column attached either directly to the dental chair or to an attachment arm connected to the base of the chair. A frame was fixed to the central support column. The post-supported equipment is mounted to the frame. Prior frames were constructed so that a single post-supported component, such as a mechanical arm for carrying an instrument control head, could be mounted only to a specific, dedicated portion of the frame. The prior frame design, therefore, limited the flexibility with which a dentist could arrange the various components of dental equipment that could be carried by the frame.